After concluding Monday's practice, the Ball State University women's basketball team circled around Worthen Arena's mid court and waited for coach Lisa McDonald to address her team for the final time that day.
The first item McDonald announced was junior point guard Kiley Jarrett's first Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week honor.
Amid her team's raucous applause, the Cardinals' 5-foot-2-inch point guard disappeared in the huddle, offering chest bumps and high fives to each of her teammates. Playing the best basketball of her career in her third season, it's safe to say the Cardinals' tri-captain has found a strong support system.
"My confidence has been up because my team believes in me, and my coaches believe in me," Jarrett said. "It's great to have so many people on your side. I think it's a great accomplishment for me to be able to play at this level. It's something that I always wanted to do."
Things haven't always come easily for Jarrett, however. Throughout her high school career, numerous critics told the former Indiana High School All-Star she was too short to play Division I basketball.
While out on the recruiting trail, McDonald was well aware of the criticism the Bloomington North High School product was receiving. However, she was one of the few who never bought into the fears that Jarrett's lack of size would hold her back.
"From the time she was a sophomore in high school we always knew that kid was going to be awesome," McDonald said. "Maybe she has a little bit of a chip on her shoulder because everybody said she wasn't good enough. There's never been a doubt in my mind that she was capable and talented enough not only to play Division I, but to be very successful in Division I."
When she arrived at Ball State, Jarrett spent her first two seasons on the bench playing behind assistant coach Kelsey Corbin. As a reserve, Jarrett said she still felt the need to prove herself on a daily basis.
Coupled with her ultra-competitiveness, that need served as both a positive and a negative for the young point guard. Working as an energizer off the bench, Jarrett had the ability to thrill the crowd with dazzling no-look passes and arching floaters in the lane. However, playing with plenty of inexperience also meant numerous turnovers for her team.
"The past couple of years I felt I had to come off the bench and prove something," Jarrett said. "That's where the mind-set of 'I have to make the flashy play' came from. Now that I'm in the starting position and getting comfortable in that role I can just let the game come to me."
During the beginning of her third year, Jarrett's shaky play continued. Every assist the junior recorded invariably seemed to be followed with a turnover. In her past two games, however, Jarrett combined for 19 assists compared to seven turnovers.
"She's just been so consistent and that's awesome," senior Julie DeMuth said before turning and giving Jarrett a hug following Ball State's most recent win against Bowling Green State University. "She's just coming along so well, and it's great to see."
As the point guard in an offense predicated on scoring in transition, Jarrett's assist-to-turnover ratio is crucial to the Cardinals' team success. During Jarrett' recent streak of solid play, McDonald said, she has seen the light bulb turn on for her junior captain.
"I don't think she's slowed down, I think the game is slowing down for her because she is understanding it so much better," McDonald said. "Part of it is that she's letting the game come to her and not forcing things. She's understanding when it's time to make the flashy, great, no-look pass and when it's time to just be under control. Since she got so much experience early on, that's what has really helped her."
After trying out for captain before her first two seasons, Jarrett earned the team honor entering this year. Now that the junior's play on the court is catching up with her leadership off it, McDonald said, Jarrett has become one of her team's most valuable players.
"Every one of the players on our team would follow her into any battle," McDonald said. "You can just see it in her eyes - she's got that look in her eyes all the time that we're going to win. She gets people to believe in her all the time, and that's what a great leader does - they get people to believe and follow. She's been like that since I remember her playing in high school."
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